Alternatives to Avery

  1. Evadne
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "pleasing one"
    • Description:

      In Greek mythology, Evadne was the daughter of Poseidon. Evadne also appears in literature (Mary Shelley's "The Last Man") and has a pop culture reference as the cousin of Wonder Woman. A more unusual alternative to other Greek "-ee" names like Ariadne, Daphne and Penelope. The trendy "Ev" sound makes this a lovely choice in a world of Evelyns, Evangelines and Everlys.
  2. Evanthe
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "fair flower"
    • Description:

      Evanthe is a pretty Greek name not often heard outside its native culture. With its stylish Ev-begining, Evanthe could make an interesting choice if you're looking for a generic flower name.
  3. Ebony
    • Origin:

      English
    • Description:

      An attractive and now underused nature name belonging to a tree whose wood is prized for its dark color and dense texture, which shines when polished. Ebony joined the most popular girl names list in the US in the early 1970s, peaked in 1982 at #132, and dropped back below the Top 1000 in 2006.
  4. Waverly
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "meadow of quivering aspens"
    • Description:

      Waverly, with its literary resonance and lilting three-syllable sound, could well become the next generation's successor to Kimberly. Its upper-crusty surname feel places it among the new stylish English names for girls, successors to Ashley and Whitney.
  5. Allie
    • Origin:

      Variation or diminutive of Alexandra, Alice or Allison; Greek, German or Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "defending men or noble"
    • Description:

      Allie is one short form that's gotten so popular it's often used as a name on its own. Cute, friendly, yet we'd recommend using one of the proper names such as Alice to give your daughter an option.
  6. Ever
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "always, eternally, constantly"
    • Description:

      A simple, unusual word name with an evocative meaning, Ever feels similar enough to Eva, Evelyn, and Everly that it shifts easily into name territory. Actor Robert Carradine was ahead of the trends when he named his now grown-up actress daughter Ever back in the 70s, while more recently, it was used by both Milla Jovovich and Owain Yeoman.
  7. Avonlea
    • Origin:

      Place name
    • Meaning:

      "river by a field"
    • Description:

      As all good Anne of Green Gables buffs would know, Avonlea is the fictional Canadian town created by L. M. Montgomery that Anne Shirley considers home. The literary creation inspired a real Canadian town to adopt the name. Avonlea would make a lovely literary choice for any baby, and would fit in with the Ava and "-lee" naming trends right now.
  8. Savvy
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      We call Savvy a Modern Virtue Name, a contemporary version of the Puritan's Hope and Charity, extolling the virtue of shrewdness. And who doesn't want their daughter to grow up to be Savvy in the ways of the world? So far, this name has been used only for girls, perhaps because some parents remember the women's magazine called Savvy.
  9. Ivanna
    • Origin:

      Feminine of Ivan, which is itself a variation of John
    • Description:

      Ivanna / Ivana both come out of the name "John" by way of the Russian variant Ivan. Whereas Joanna feels dated, Ivanna feels cosmopolitan and fresh. Ivanka (of Trump fame) is a diminutive version of Ivanna.
  10. Ivory
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "hard, white material from the tusks and teeth of animals; pale, white"
    • Description:

      Ivory was last popular a hundred years ago. In 2013, it finally began to regain some momentum in the female rankings, reentering the Top 1000, while 2024 saw it jump up the charts again by over 100 places, making it a To 500 name.
  11. Evanna
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Evan, Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      Evanna is the name of a Harry Potter actress who pronounces it ee-vah-na. This might be considered another international feminine form of the many variations of John; Ivana, Giovanna, and even Joan are cousins of Evanna. It could also be a compound name, combining Eva and Anna.
  12. Avalyn
    • Origin:

      Variation of Aveline or Avalon, combination of Ava and Lyn
    • Meaning:

      "desired; island of apples; life, water or bird + lake or beautiful"
    • Description:

      Part Ava, part Evelyn, this name made its first appearance in the US Top 1000 in 2013 when it was one of the fastest-rising names of the year. Joining Gracelyn, Raelynn, and Emmalyn in the charts, Avalyn followed the same pattern of smooshing together a popular name with the suffix -lynn.
  13. Avreen
    • Origin:

      Punjabi
    • Meaning:

      "God's gift"
    • Description:

      A stylish-sounding Indian girl name — like a more chic and unique Avery.
  14. Elvina
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "elf friend"
    • Description:

      Sounds elven in every sense of the word.
  15. Mavery
    • Origin:

      Compound of Maeve and Avery
    • Meaning:

      "she who intoxicates + rule of elves"
    • Description:

      A blend of contemporary favorites: unisex Avery and Irish Maeve. With a whimsical meaning and melodic sound, it was given to 67 girls in a recent year.
  16. Calvary
    • Origin:

      English from Latin, place name
    • Description:

      In the Bible, Calvary is the hill outside of Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. This religious significance, along with a pleasant sound, have led some parents to begin using it as a name for their daughters.
  17. Cady
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive and surname
    • Description:

      Cady is one of those names that sounds popular but is actually rare in this form, given to only a few dozen baby girls in the US last year.
  18. Avada
    • Description:

      Avada is a feminine name of uncertain origin, though it may have roots in Hebrew or Arabic languages. The name gained notoriety in popular culture through J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, where "Avada Kedavra" is the incantation for the killing curse, potentially influencing modern perceptions of the name. Prior to this association, Avada was an extremely rare name that might have been a variation of names like Aviva or Eva. The name has a melodic quality with its alternating vowels and soft consonants. Despite its pleasing sound and exotic feel, Avada remains very uncommon, likely due in part to its fictional connection, though some parents might be drawn to its uniqueness and lyrical qualities.

  19. Verily
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "truly"
    • Description:

      A quaint and poetic English word meaning "truly", which could easily make the switch to baby name usage, given its similarity to sophisticated vintage names like Verity and Cecily.
  20. Averly
    • Origin:

      Variation of Everly
    • Meaning:

      "wild boar in a woodland clearing"
    • Description:

      A variation of popular Everly, blended with equally popular Avery or Ava. If taken simple as a variant of Everly, it would mean "wild boar in a woodland clearing", however, when you blend it with Avery, you could get the meaning as "ruler of elves in the forest clearing", and if you mix it with Ava, you might get "life in the woodland". 70 girls were given the name in a recent year.